School may have just started at Meridian Technology Center, but students across campus are already positioning themselves for success. Here’s a quick look at how a few members of the class of 2018 are making a difference in their communities and their classrooms at Tech.

Drafting His Own Plans

Matthew Thomas never really considered himself a leader. In high school, the Stillwater student was involved in activities that ranged from athletics to competitive choir, but never wanted to be in the spotlight. When he enrolled in the Computer Aided Drafting program as an adult student, he planned to stay under everyone’s radar.

It didn’t take long for Thomas’ leadership potential to shine through. Within weeks, his instructor encouraged him to not only join SkillsUSA, the CareerTech Student Organization associated with his program, but also to run for a local office. Once he had a little bit of experience under his belt, Thomas took things one step further and became a state officer for the organization. He said he doesn’t remember why he changed his mind, but he’s glad that he did.

He spent last year serving other SkillsUSA members across the state, simultaneously giving back and growing his personal and professional skills. His state officer term is about to conclude, but he already has something else to occupy his time. This summer he accepted a drafting job at Universal Surveying and Mapping in Stillwater, where he’s working part-time with civil engineers while he’s completing Meridian’s Computer Aided Drafting program. He will transition to a full-time position after graduation.

Focused on Her Future

Digital Media student Kaelynn Kirkpatrick spent her summer building her business, Through the Lens Photography. She’s quickly turned into one of Morrison’s go-to photographers, documenting memorable moments for expecting mothers, newborns and even her classmates’ senior photos. In addition to attending Tech, she stays busy at Morrison High School as the senior class reporter, cheer manager and yearbook photographer. When she graduates from Meridian, Kirkpatrick plans to attend college and become a youth minister and photographer.

Positioned for Success

Growing up Christian Wood was fascinated by the certainty of science and the subjectivity of art. In fact, the Perkins student says it was the “art of the image” that drew him to the Radiologic Technology program at Tech. Over the course of the last year his training has taken him into the labs of some of the state’s top hospitals where he’s honed his imaging skills while learning from industry professionals. Whether he’s preparing a patient for the imaging process or positioning them for an X-ray, Wood’s attention to detail and calm demeanor are proving to be an indescribable asset. He is only halfway through his training at Tech, and he’s already accepted a job as a student radiologic technologist at Stillwater Medical Center.

Meridian Made Students

This is just a snapshot of the achievement of nearly 300 Meridian students who will graduate this year. Students who complete their career training at Meridian continue on to higher education or a job related to their program of study at a rate of nearly 90 percent. Whether students are college or career bound, their decision to become Meridian Made is a meaningful step on their journey to success.

Students attending Meridian are able to choose from more than 20 programs that can be customized to fit their pace and their individual learning style. High school students living in the Meridian district attend tuition free in either a morning or afternoon session and training takes approximately two years. Adults are able to attend full time or part time and typically complete programs in one or two years.

For more information or to enroll visit www.meridiantech.edu or contact a career counselor by phone at (405) 377-3333 or toll-free at (888) 607-2509.